Google Nexus 4: The New Android Champion

Android has a new champion. The Nexus 4, built by LG in collaboration with Google, is the best overall Android handset currently available, and it's one of the best phones to be released this year. Living with the Nexus 4 and using it over the last week has been a joy. It's a truly exemplary piece of hardware that showcases the best of what Google can offer in a smartphone when crufty user interface skins from hardware makers and bloatware from carriers are cut out of the equation. It's as close to perfect as I've seen any Android smartphone get.

Exemplary Design and Build Quality

The first thing you notice when you pick up the handset is just how sturdy and luxurious it feels. The front and back of the device are coated in Gorilla Glass 2. I took a set of keys, a fork and a pocket knife to the front and back glass panels of the Nexus 4 and couldn't get a scratch to show up anywhere. I also slipped and dropped the phone while pulling it out of my pocket this week, and it showed no signs of my fumble. It's quite grippy thanks to a rubberized band of plastic that runs in a ring around the whole device. This band is where you'll find your buttons and ports – a volume rocker and a SIM card tray on the left, a sleep/wake button on the right, a headphone jack up top and a micro USB port for charging on the bottom. There's also a strip of chromed plastic that skirts the edge of the face. Beneath the glass back panel, there's a sparkly, textured inlay that shimmers when the light catches it just right. Just silky glass on a 0.35-inch thick device that weighs just 4.9 ounces.

Stunning Display and Flagship Performance

The display on the Nexus 4, which packs a density of 320 pixels per inch, is one of the best I've seen on a smartphone handset. While colors do lean toward the cool side, LG's True HD IPS LCD display is flat-out gorgeous. The level of detail and definition seen here is worthy of a flagship phone. It's a handsome touch that doesn't distract from the massive 4.7-inch 1280 x 768 display.

It not only looks great, it runs like the wind. I couldn't find a single stutter or hiccup during my week with the phone. This performance can be attributed to Qualcomm's 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, Adreno 320 graphics processor, and 2GB of RAM. Even graphically intensive apps like Google Earth, or fast-paced games like Nova 3 loaded quickly and ran smoothly.

Connectivity and Market Value Comparison

The Nexus 4 will run on just about any other cellular network outside of LTE (GSM, UMTS, Edge, GPRS, 3G and HSPA+), which means you can take the handset with you all over the world, swapping SIM cards as needed. It also means Google can sell one device in multiple markets all over the world, since Europe, Asia and other continents are still largely without LTE service. This is likely a big reason why Google can charge so little for the Nexus 4. If you do take the Nexus 4 plunge, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Device / Model	Status	Price (Unlocked)
Google Nexus 4 (8GB)	Unlocked and off-contract	$300
Google Nexus 4 (16GB)	Unlocked and off-contract	$350
Apple iPhone 4S	Unlocked	$650 - $850
Samsung Galaxy S III	Unlocked	$800